Breathe Underwater
by Timetodance0110
Summary: Queen Ariadne has been taken prisoner by Pasiphae. Jason has taken it upon himself to go and rescue her. But when he and Pythagoras end up in a cave, by themselves, he finds out that his friend means more to him than he had realised.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : This was written after episode two of series two of Atlantis. So before episode three has even been on tv. So place it somewhere after episode two. =) Also, this is my first Atlantis / Jagoras fic, so be nice with me! ;-). Chapter two, which is also the final chapter, will be posted later this week.

Queen Ariadne has been taken prisoner by Pasiphae. She was abducted from Atlantis by Pasiphae's army, and now Jason has taken it upon himself to go and get her back. He tried to leave, in secret, during the night. But Pythagoras had heard him, and he and Hercules had joined him. So now they are on their way to find Pasiphae and her army. They know where she is supposedly hiding, but they have no idea if they will get there safe, or if they will get there in time, before Pasiphae kills Queen Ariadne.

The three men have just survived crossing a dangerous path, full of thieves and murderers, and they are now planning on hiding out in one of the caves for the night.

"Do you think it's safe out here?" Hercules asks, as he puts down his sword.

"Well, technically, the chance of…," Pythagoras begins, but Jason interrupts him.

"Safer than out there. At least if they try to follow us in here, we can see them come in."

"That is, if something isn't already hiding in here," Hercules says, and Jason shoots him an annoyed look. "What? I'm only saying what we're all thinking."

"Either way, we've got to leave before the sun rises, or the chance of Ariadne surviving will be even smaller," Jason says, quickly changing the subject. "I understand if you don't want to come with me, and it's okay if you want to go home. I would totally understand."

"We're not leaving you, Jason," Hercules says. "But, because you dragged us into this, I am going to make it your job to find us something to eat."

"Shh, what was that," Pythagoras says, and both Jason and Hercules keep quiet, and look over to him. "I thought I heard something," he says, but there's not a sound to be heard. Jason and Hercules start bickering about the food situation, and Pythagoras wants to gets up to see where the sound came from. But before he gets a chance to, he feels a horrible pain in his hip, and he looks down. There's a snake, biting him, and he just keeps looking at it, both in horror and in shock.

"No, I am not going… Pythagoras, why…," Jason begins, but then he looks over to his friend, and he notices the snake, biting down in his hip, and he jumps over, pulls it away, and kills it. Pythagoras is still looking down at his hip, in shock. "Pythagoras?" Jason asks, and he kneels down beside him, putting an arm around his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Hercules asks, as he comes over and joins them.

"I'm dying," Pythagoras then says, still staring down, and tears start forming in his eyes.

"What? What are you talking about?" Jason asks, now looking down at the wound, which are only two small wounds, which are bleeding, but it's nothing too bad. "You're not going to die from that."

"You've survived worse. Stop being a…"

"It's poisonous," Pythagoras says, and he finally looks up, straight into Jason's eyes. "I'm going to die."

"No, you're not. We won't let you," Jason says, and he looks up at Hercules.

"What do you need? What helps against the poison?"

"There are herbs, but… I only know where to get them back in Atlantis."

"Then I'm going back," Hercules says, and he starts getting his things.

"It's too late," Pythagoras says, and Jason feels that he is starting to shake slightly. "You won't make it there, and back, before I die. You should just leave me here, and go and find Ariadne."

"We're not going to let you die, Pythagoras," Jason says, but he feels that he is supporting him more and more already.

"Tell me what it's called, what it looks like, what it smells like, and I'll go out and look for it."

"It's dark outside…"

"I don't care," Hercules says, and after Pythagoras has explained it to him, he quickly grabs his things, and leaves.

"Go and find Ariadne," Pythagoras says, but Jason shakes his head. He gets up, and arranges some of their things, to make a somewhat comfortable bed for his friend. He then helps him to lie down on it, and checks the wound again. "How does it look?"

"Not great," Jason admits, and he flashes a small, nervous smile. "But Hercules will be back before you know it."

"Jason…," Pythagoras begins, but then he closes his eyes, and for a second there, Jason thinks he has already passed away, and he gets up and starts pacing around. But then he opens his eyes again, looking worse than ever. "Please go and find her."

"I'm not leaving you behind."

"If you stay here, I fear you may never see her again. Pasiphae won't let her live," Pythagoras says, as Jason kneels down beside him again. "Go."

"No, I'm not going anywhere," Jason says, tears burning in his eyes. "Just go and get some sleep. And when you wake up, Hercules will be back," he says, and Pythagoras wants to object, but the poison that his killing his body, is making him too exhausted to even speak.

"You're still here," Pythagoras says, when he wakes up, and finds Jason still sitting beside him.

"Yeah, I told you I wasn't going anywhere, didn't I?" Jason says, flashing a smile. But Pythagoras can see how troubled he is, and he sighs.

"It's okay, Jason. You're in love with Ariadne, and I know that she means more to you than I do. Besides, I am going to die, whether you are here or not, and you can still save her."

"That's not true," Jason says. "She doesn't mean more to me. You and Hercules, you both mean just as much to me as Ariadne does."

"We don't, and that's okay… I…"

"What? What were you going to say?" Jason asks, and Pythagoras flashes a small smile.

"Since I am going to die, I might as well tell you now. I have got nothing to lose anyway. I ehm… do you remember the day you came to Atlantis?"

"Of course," Jason laughs. "How could I forget?"

"When you, well, when you pretty much fell into my life, I… well, you changed our lives."

"Sorry about that," Jason says, a smile on his face, and Pythagoras can't help but smile.

"No, in a good way. Hercules, well, he's still a drunk, but he isn't a useless drunk anymore. I've never seen him fight for anyone before… And I've come to care deeply about you, Jason."

"I care about you too. Don't tell Hercules, but you're my best friend, and that's why I'm not going to let you die," Jason says, and Pythagoras smiles. But it's a sad smile.

"I don't mean 'caring about' in that way, Jason," he admits, and Jason looks away, and there's a long silence. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, I think so," Jason says, and he looks back up at his dying friend. "Really?"

"Really," Pythagoras admits.

"I had no idea… does Hercules know?"

"Yes, and he keeps making fun of me for it, and he has used it to blackmail me into buying him wine," Pythagoras says, and Jason can't help but laugh. Then there's a silence, and Pythagoras feels guilty for telling Jason, because now he will always be walking around, knowing that their friendships was never what he thought it was.

"So you are really in love with me?" Jason eventually asks, and Pythagoras almost starts laughing, but he isn't even sure why.

"Yes," he admits, and before he knows it, Jason has kissed him. But then they hear someone clearing their throat, and they both look up. Hercules and Ariadne are both standing there, both looking shocked, Ariadne horrified, Hercules mostly just amused.

"We weren't, this isn't, we didn't…," Jason stutters, and he quickly gets up to his feet.

"Then what were you doing?" Ariadne asks, still looking horrified. Jason can't think of an excuse, and he flashes a panicked look at Pythagoras.

"It ehm, it's an ancient ritual, where, when one is dying, their friends say their goodbyes, by giving them a kiss. It's actually very interesting, because it represents…," Pythagoras quickly lies, but then he faints, his eyes rolling backwards, his face falling sideward.

"Did you get the herbs?" Jason quickly asks, and Hercules nods, and hands them to him. They go over to Pythagoras, and Jason puts the herbs on the two wounds, while Ariadne goes to mix some of the herbs with some water, for Pythagoras to drink.

"Come on, Pythagoras," Hercules whispers, when their dying friend doesn't respond to the herbs. Ariadne comes over with the water, hands it to Jason, and Jason gives it to him, raising his head to make him swallow it.

"He can't die," he says, his voice breaking, tears making his vision blurry. He is still confused about what had just happened, but he pushes it aside, and focuses on trying to keep Pythagoras alive. But Pythagoras doesn't respond to anything, and after a long time, they give up. All they can do now is stay with him, until the end.

"It's starting to get light outside," Ariadne says, after she has checked, to see how long they have been here. Pythagoras is still breathing, but his body is burning up, sweat dripping down his face, and his breathing is shallow. They don't expect him to stay alive for much longer. "If they are looking for me, they will find us soon."

"I'm not leaving him," Jason says, still holding his dying friend's hand, while Hercules is keeping his forehead as cool as possible.

"They will kill us…"

"Then go," Hercules snaps. "But we're staying with Pythagoras. Who, if you hadn't noticed, is dying."

"I am sorry," Ariadne says, and she sits down again. But then Jason feels Pythagoras' hand moving, and he is scared that this is it, his final moment. But he opens his eyes, looking straight at him, and he flashes a smile.

"Hi," he says, his voice sounding weak, but nowhere near that of a dying man.

"You gave us quite a scare there," Hercules says, and he gives him a sip of water.

"You nearly didn't make it," Jason says, still holding his friend's hand.

"I remember," Pythagoras says, still flashing that smile, and Jason can't help but smile. They give him a couple of minutes to wake up basically, but then they have to leave, to go back to Atlantis. Pythagoras can hardly walk, so Hercules and Jason have to hold him up. But eventually they make it back to Atlantis safely.

They are at the palace, a couple of days after they have arrived back at Atlantis. Ariadne had invited them for a feast, to thank them for rescuing her, or at least for trying. Because, as she had explained to them later, she had escaped, and had run into Hercules, who had been looking for the herbs for Pythagoras. So they have just had a feast, and Ariadne and Jason have just gone into another room, to talk in private. Usually it would have been considered rude, but now it had just given Hercules a chance to steal the last piece of chicken from Ariadne's plate, and for Pythagoras to look around the room, simply to satisfy his curiosity.

"I know that I said that I have to marry someone of royal blood," Ariadne begins, "But after having been kept as a prisoner by Pasiphae, after thinking that I was never going to see you again… it is you who I love, Jason."

"I love you too," Jason says, and he steps up to her, and grabs her hands.

"So I am willing to risk losing everything," Ariadne says. "I want to marry you."

"What?" Jason asks, and Ariadne looks hurt.

"I want you to become my husband," she tries again, but a silence is all that follows for a long time. "Jason?"

"I… I'm sorry, but I can't do this," he says, and he storms out of the room, back into the room where Hercules is still eating, and where Pythagoras is closely inspecting the walls.

"What is wrong?" Pythagoras asks, but Jason storms past him, out of the palace.

"I guess that we have got to leave now as well," Hercules says, and he gets up and he and Pythagoras quickly follow Jason back to their home.

"What happened back there?" Hercules asks, but Jason just shrugs.

"Do you want to be alone?" Pythagoras asks, and Jason nods, staring straight ahead. He is sitting on the balcony, his legs pulled up to his chest. His friends go back inside, and stay up for a little while. But eventually Hercules goes to bed, and Pythagoras joins Jason on the balcony.

"Ariadne wants me to marry her."

"Isn't that what you want?" Pythagoras asks, looking confused.

"It is, or I thought it was… I don't know…"

"Why not?"

"Because of what happened in that cave," Jason admits, and Pythagoras sighs.

"Nothing happened in that cave, Jason. You thought I was going to die, that is all. You are in love with Ariadne, and you have been, ever since you first met her. So go to the palace, and tell her that you will marry her."

"But something did happen in that cave, didn't it?" Jason asks, and his friend looks away, which in itself is an admission. "And I cannot just forget about that."

"Ever since you have been here, in Atlantis, who have you wanted to be with?" Pythagoras asks, now looking back at Jason.

"Ariadne…"

"Then marry her," Pythagoras says, and he gets up. "If you don't, you will end up regretting it. Don't mess this up over a kiss that meant nothing."

"But…"

"Don't," Pythagoras says, and he goes back inside, and to bed. When Jason goes inside a while later, both his friends are fast asleep, and he sighs, and goes to bed as well. He has decided to do as Pythagoras had told him, and to marry Ariadne. After all, he is in love with her, and he wants to be with her. Doesn't he?


	2. Chapter 2

Two days later, Jason is sitting at home, at the table, his head in his hands. Yesterday he had told Ariadne that he would marry her. That he had just been surprised, that that was the reason why he acted the way he did. The marriage was announced immediately, and the queen is planning their wedding already. They are set to get married in a week.

"Shouldn't you be jumping around with joy?" Hercules asks, when he sees his friend, miserable like that, and he joins him at the table. "You're going to be king! Or will you be a prince? Either way, you're going to be rich! And more important, I am going to be the friend of a rich king, or prince, which means that I will be rich!"

"Not helping," Jason mumbles.

"Well, why are you like this?"

"It's nothing," Jason mumbles again, and he finally looks up. "It's just… have you ever wanted something so badly, that you were willing to die for it, but then you found something, that you realised, you wanted even more. But then you finally get what you wanted in the first place, and you're not sure whether you should go for that, or fight for what you want even more," Jason tries to explain, but Hercules just looks confused. But after a couple of seconds, he nods.

"Ah, you've met someone else."

"No!"

"You haven't? Then what you just said, made no sense whatsoever," Hercules says, and Jason sighs. "But if you have met someone else, you're in big trouble, my friend."

"I know…"

"You are set to marry a queen, you can't just leave her for someone else."

"There is no one else," Jason quickly says, but he knows that he doesn't sound very believable. "But if there was, what do you think I should do?"

"Marry Ariadne, or she will most likely have you executed," Hercules says.

"I do love her."

"Well, then problem solved. Marry her, forget about the other woman, and make me rich," Hercules says, and he gets up, and goes to his room. Jason is now even more sure that he has got to stick with his choice. He will marry Queen Ariadne.

"Wow, everyone is really excited for this wedding," Pythagoras says, when he comes in later that day. Jason is still sitting at the table, feeling miserable. Yes, he will marry Ariadne, and yes, he will stick with his choice, but no, he cannot forget about what happened in that cave.

"Not everyone," he says, and Pythagoras joins him at the table. Hercules had left to go to the tavern a while ago, so it's just the two of them. They don't have to keep quiet about what happened in the cave anymore.

"Well, you are going to have to start getting excited about it. You are getting married in a week."

"I can't, Pythagoras!" Jason snaps. "What happened in that cave… when we kissed…"

"Jason, don't…"

"No, stop telling me to keep quiet," Jason says. "When we kissed, I felt something that I have never felt before. You're right, ever since I came to Atlantis, I thought that I wanted to be with Ariadne, that I wanted to marry her, and spend the rest of my life with her, but… that day, when I thought that I was going to lose you."

"Please, don't," Pythagoras whispers, his voice breaking, and he's obviously getting emotional.

"It was only then, when I realised how much you mean to me. And then when you told me that you loved me, and we kissed… I cannot forget about that, Pythagoras," Jason admits. "And I don't want to forget."

"But you are getting married to Ariadne next week, Queen Ariadne. So we are going to have to forget."

"We can run away."

"We can't. And we shouldn't. It's not fair on Ariadne," Pythagoras says, and Jason knows that he is right. "I just wish we would have had that conversation sooner, before you and her…"

"Me too," Jason interrupts him. "I wish I could be with you instead of her."

"You are in love with her though, aren't you?"

"I love her," Jason says, "And I thought I was in love with her, but now, I realise that what I feel for her, it is nothing compared to these feelings that I have for you."

"You will soon live in the palace, and you won't see me again. Things will change."

"I don't want them too," Jason admits, and he grabs Pythagoras' hand over the table. "I don't want to lose you."

"Jason…"

"I can't lose you."

"You are not going to believe this, they kicked me out because…," Hercules says, as he walks into the home he shares with Pythagoras and Jason. But he stops talking, and walking, and quickly closes the door behind him. "So is this also an ancient ritual?" he asks, as Jason and Pythagoras quickly get up, and cover themselves up.

"This is not…," Jason begins, but Hercules interrupts him.

"Of course it isn't. So, how long has this _not _been going on?" he asks, his friends still covering themselves up. "No, before you answer, please put some clothes on," he says, as he sits down at the table. His friends get dressed, and join him at the table, looking really embarrassed. "So, tell me."

"In that cave, when we all thought that I was going to die, I told Jason about my feelings for him," Pythagoras begins.

"And?" Hercules asks.

"And we kissed," Jason admits, a blush appearing on his face. "And that's when you and Ariadne came in."

"I knew it, I knew that it wasn't some strange ritual. You see, I wasn't going to say anything in front of Ariadne, but I knew that something had to be going on."

"Yes, well, there was," Pythagoras says. "And then they got engaged, but it turns out that we actually really quite like each other."

"But we cannot be together."

"So you're doing it behind the Queen's back?" Hercules asks, leaving his friends even more embarrassed. "Because that is bound to end well, isn't it?"

"This, just happened. We weren't planning on…," Jason explains, his face turning darker red. "I am still going to marry Ariadne."

"And this isn't going to happen anymore?" Hercules asks, and Jason quickly shakes his head. "Because if it is, then please tell me, so next time I will know to knock before I come in."

"It won't," Pythagoras says, and a long silence follows.

"It is a shame though," Hercules eventually says, and his friends look up at him, both confused. "Well, you two are in love with each other. Why let it go to waste? I mean, I know that you are going to get married and everything, and I did tell you to forget about the other, well, woman, but now that I know that it is Pythagoras… You two belong together."

"You think so?" Jason asks, and Hercules laughs.

"Of course. You two are perfect together, it is almost as if the gods want you to be together. Well, except for that you are set to be married, and Ariadne will most likely have the pair of you executed if she were to find out that you are sleeping together behind her back…"

"Thanks…"

"But if you were to stay together, in secret, I will try my best to help you keep it from her," Hercules says.

"Thanks, Hercules," Jason says, and he looks over to Pythagoras, who is staring down at his hands. "What are you thinking?"

"It cannot happen though, can it? I cannot be your secret lover, while you are set to marry the Queen. It isn't fair on any of us, and I will not let it happen," he says, and he gets up, and leaves.

"So… he is the other woman?" Hercules asks, and Jason nods. "And you definitely love him more than the Queen? Because if you don't, and you will break his heart, I will break your neck," Hercules threatens, and Jason can't help but laugh.

"I definitely love him more… I didn't even realise it, until I thought I was going to lose him. I want to be with him, not with Ariadne," Jason explains. "But if I leave Ariadne, she will kill me, or him if she finds out."

"Then we have got to find a way for you to be together, even when you're married."

"You heard what he said, he isn't going to do that. He is too good of a person for that," Jason says, and he can't help but smile. "I guess we will just have to live with it…"

"Not on my watch."

It's the day before the wedding, and Jason, Pythagoras and Hercules are at the palace, to try on their outfits for the wedding. Pythagoras and Hercules are supposed to be in another room, to change, while Jason is getting changed in a room that is all decorated for the wedding. He is just changing his shirt, when there's a knock on the door. Pythagoras comes in, while Hercules stays in the doorway.

"We got rid of the guards, you have got about five minutes," he whispers, and he closes the door, leaving Jason and Pythagoras alone. Jason immediately kisses Pythagoras, knowing that they might never get the chance again. Tonight, he will move into the palace, and tomorrow, he is getting married, which is going to be the end of him and Pythagoras. Pythagoras had made that very clear.

"I don't know if I can do this," Jason whispers, holding Pythagoras' hands in his.

"You can, and you will. And you will be happy with her, and you will become a father, and…"

"What if I don't want all that?"

"You haven't got a choice," Pythagoras whispers. "But I wish you all the happiness in the world."

"I would be happier if I was with you."

"We'd both be dead," Pythagoras says, and Jason wraps his arms around him, holding him close. He kisses the top of Pythagoras' head, taking in his scent, not knowing whether he ever will again.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Pythagoras whispers, and at that moment, the door swings wide open.

"I tried to stop her," Hercules says, as Ariadne storms into the room. The guys quickly let go of each other, but it's too late.

"You? You are what he's been hiding from me?" she asks, looking horrified.

"Queen Ariadne, I…"

"Don't speak to me," she says, looking furious, and Pythagoras quickly keeps quiet.

"I am so sorry," Jason says, and Ariadne lets out a horrible sounding laugh.  
"Sorry? You are willing to humiliate me like this? To risk my reputation, for him? And you are sorry?"

"I never meant to hurt you," Jason tries, but Ariadne shakes her head.

"No, you are not getting away with this. No one, not even you, gets to humiliate me like this," she says. "Guards!"

"No, Ariadne!" Jason tries, but four guards are already coming towards the room.

"Take the two of them to the cells," Ariadne orders. "I have just caught them, plotting to murder me. They will be executed in a week."

"What? No, we…," Pythagoras begins, but two guards grab him, and drag him away. Hercules tries to stop them, but there's nothing he can do. They do the same to Jason, leaving just Hercules and Ariadne behind.

"And you, you will watch them suffer and die. And then, you will be exiled from Atlantis," Ariadne says, still looking furious, but in the coldest way possible. She then walks away, as if nothing has happened. Hercules runs away, knowing exactly what to do, and who to go to, to ask for help.

It's the day of the executions, and Jason and Pythagoras haven't seen each other all week. They had been kept separately. But they are walked over to the execution area together, and they grab each other's hand. No one has the heart to stop them. Now here they are, standing in the middle of the execution area, surrounded by everyone who had come to watch them die. They will soon be shot to death, losing each other for ever.

"I love you," Jason whispers, looking over to Pythagoras, who looks terrified, and who is crying.

"I love you too," Pythagoras whispers back, and they are both pushed down on their knees, and made to face the ground. This is it, they are going to die within seconds. They grab each other's hand again, and expect to die any second. But then there's a lot of noise, and they both look up. Pasiphae and her army come storming in, and they start fighting Ariadne's people. Ariadne is standing up in her palace, looking down on it, too far away to do anything about it. Two men from Pasiphae's army grab Jason and Pythagoras, drag them onto their horses, and make their way out of there, out of Atlantis, Pasiphae and her army following them. Jason and Pythagoras are too shocked about what has just happened, so all they can do is hold tight to make sure they don't fall, and hope that their death caused by Pasiphae won't be as painful as their death caused by Ariadne would have been.

In the middle of a forest, they come to a stop, and they find Hercules there, with bags full of their belongings. Jason and Pythagoras jump off of the horses, and quickly join him, still confused about everything.

"Keep running north, and you should be safe," Pasiphae says, when she joins them. "Here you have some food and water," she says, and one of her men hand them two bags. "And Hercules, thank you, for telling me, and asking me for help."

"No, thank you, for helping," Hercules says, and Jason and Pythagoras are still standing there, not understanding anything about this. Why is their enemy helping them?

"Why are you helping us?" Jason asks, but Pasiphae only answers him with a smile. It isn't a mean smile, but a nice smile, nothing like they have ever seen from her. This only confuses him even more. "Thank you," he says, and she still smiles, then turns around and leaves, taking her army with her.

"So… why did Pasiphae just save our lives?" Pythagoras asks, and Hercules shrugs.

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out."

"Come on, tell us," Jason says.

"You will find out, one day," Hercules says, and he grabs a piece of bread from one of the bags of food, and starts eating. "But for now, let's run, yes? Because I do not want to die."

"We should probably come up with a plan first, shouldn't we?" Pythagoras asks, but before anyone can answer him, Jason has planted a huge kiss on his mouth. "What was that for?"

"I'm just glad that we're still alive, and that we can be together now."

"Well, you can't. Not if we stay here and get ourselves killed," Hercules says, and his friends can't help but laugh.

"Right, we need a plan. We obviously can never go back to Atlantis," Pythagoras says, as they start walking North, Jason holding his hand.

"I've got an idea," Hercules says.

"What is it?" Jason asks.

"Well, we can all grow…"

"We are not growing beards!"


End file.
